New Orleans Is Next for Silverbulletday

Trainer Bob Baffert says his mind and Kentucky weather are a lot alike.

“They both change about every six hours,” Baffert said Friday.

Silverbulletday, the best 2-year-old filly in the country last year, will be flown to New Orleans after all. Baffert said late Friday that last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner will make her 3-year-old debut next Saturday in the $125,000 Davona Dale Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race, at the Fair Grounds.

The decision on the New Orleans race was made only three days after Baffert had said that Silverbulletday would hook up with colts in the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 28.

“The whole thing was the planes,” Baffert said. “I didn’t think I’d be able to get her in and out of New Orleans. But [Friday] I found out that I’ll be able to do that. She’ll ship out of here Monday.”

After the Davona Dale, Silverbulletday will return to Baffert’s barn at Santa Anita, then return to New Orleans for the $300,000 Fair Grounds Oaks on March 13. Baffert also has penciled in the $500,000 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on April 3. After that, the likely spot would be the $500,000 Kentucky Oaks for fillies on April 30 at Churchill Downs, but the Kentucky Derby, the next day, hasn’t been ruled out.

“I just can’t talk about the Derby with this filly,” Baffert said. “There’s too much time ahead of us.”

Baffert is more certain about his other top filly, Excellent Meeting.

“For sure, Excellent Meeting is headed for the Kentucky Oaks,” he said. “John Mabee [Excellent Meeting’s owner] has too many good colts for the Derby. He’s got General Challenge and Finder’s Gold. They’re both very good horses.”

Excellent Meeting, who beat Silverbulletday in the Del Mar Debutante before finishing second, half a length back, in the Breeders’ Cup, starts her 3-year-old season today, running against four rivals in the Las Virgenes at Santa Anita.

Silverbulletday is owned by Mike Pegram, whose Real Quiet gave Baffert his second straight Kentucky Derby victory last year.

In sorting out his other 3-year-olds, Baffert said that both Exploit and General Challenge will run in the San Felipe Stakes on March 13. Prime Timber is scheduled to run in the San Rafael Stakes on Feb. 28, and Forestry will pop up in an allowance race soon.

Churchill Downs, which will offer a Kentucky Derby future wager for the first time, starting next Thursday, listed six of Baffert’s horses among the 23 that were assigned preliminary odds. Exploit is 8-1, Silverbulletday 10-1, General Challenge 12-1, Excellent Meeting 15-1, Prime Timber 20-1 and Finder’s Gold 50-1. The lowest price on a horse not trained by Baffert is the 12-1 opening line on The Groom Is Red.

Trained by Nick Zito, The Groom Is Red ran sixth at 3-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and was third in an allowance at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 1.

Some other top prospects also have started slowly. Answer Lively, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, ran seventh at the Fair Grounds in his 3-year-old debut, and on Friday at Gulfstream, Lucky Roberto, making his first start since winning the Hopeful at Saratoga in September, was sixth, beaten by 18 1/2 lengths, in a seven-furlong allowance. Valid Trefaire, not even nominated for the Triple Crown series, won the race.

Horse Racing Notes

Laffit Pincay rode three winners Friday, one of them Old Topper in an allowance race that drew several stakes horses. Hoping to break Bill Shoemaker’s record of 8,833 wins, Pincay brought his total to 8,698. . . . Eddie Delahoussaye, who has won four races in the last two days, rode Blending Element to victory in The Very One Stakes.

In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Gary Stevens rode Florida Sun to victory in the King’s Cup. Stevens, Alex Solis and Corey Nakatani, who were also riding in Saudi Arabia, will be back at Santa Anita today. . . . Jockey Kent Desormeaux’s wife, Sonia, gave birth to a daughter Friday. She’s been named Brianna Ellise.